How to Create Bulk ID Cards

Generating Bulk ID Cards and Badges

Creating ID cards one at a time is slow and error-prone when you need badges for an entire company, a student body, or a conference with hundreds of attendees. With Mergram, you design a single card template, connect it to a spreadsheet of people, and generate every personalized ID card — complete with photos, names, titles, and QR codes — in one batch.

Common use cases include:

• Employee badges — Name, photo, department, title, and employee ID for office security
• Student ID cards — Name, photo, student number, grade level, and academic year
• Event credentials — Attendee name, photo, access level, and QR code for check-in
• Conference badges — Speaker or attendee name, company, role, and scannable QR code
• Membership cards — Member name, photo, membership number, and expiration date
• Visitor badges — Visitor name, host name, date, and access level

Prerequisites

To bulk-generate ID cards, you need:

• A card design exported as PDF — with blank areas for variable data
• A spreadsheet with one row per person (names, IDs, departments, photo filenames)
• Photo files (PNG or JPEG) for each person — uploaded to a Media Album
• A Mergram account

Preparing Your Employee Data

Create a spreadsheet with one row per person. Include all the variable fields you need on the card:

Recommended Spreadsheet Columns

Uploading Photos to Media Albums

Photos are the most important visual element on an ID card. Mergram’s Media Albums organize your images and link them to spreadsheet data.

Step 1: Create a Media Album

1. Go to Assets → Media Albums
2. Click Create Album and name it descriptively (e.g., “Employee ID Photos 2025”)
3. The album is team-scoped — everyone on your team can access it

Step 2: Upload Photos

Upload all photos at once (PNG or JPEG, up to 10MB each). For best results:

• Crop to headshot format — Square or 3:4 portrait ratio works best for ID cards
• Use consistent backgrounds — Solid white, light gray, or blue backgrounds look professional
• Resize before uploading — A 300 × 400 pixel image is plenty for a card-sized photo. Larger files waste storage and slow down processing

Step 3: Name Photos to Match Your Spreadsheet

Your photo filenames must match the values in the PhotoFile column of your spreadsheet:

Designing the ID Card Template

Card Sizes

Choose the right card size for your use case:

Template Layout Sections

A well-designed ID card includes these areas:

Placing Fields on the Canvas

Upload your PDF template to the Mergram editor, then drag spreadsheet columns onto the canvas.

Text Fields

Drag each text column to the corresponding position on the card:

1. EmployeeName — Prominent position, large font (16–24pt depending on card size)
2. Title — Below the name, medium font (10–14pt)
3. Department — Below the title, small font (8–12pt)
4. EmployeeID — Bottom area or corner, bold or monospace font (10–12pt)
5. IssueDate and ExpiryDate — Small font at the bottom (7–10pt)

Adding Dynamic Photos

To place the person’s photo on each card:

1. Drag the PhotoFile column onto the canvas
2. Set the render type to “Image” in the field properties toolbar
3. Resize the bounding box to fit the photo area on your template — images scale to cover the bounding box width while maintaining aspect ratio
4. Go to the Media tab in the editor sidebar and link your Media Album
5. Preview to verify the photo renders correctly

Adding QR Codes

QR codes turn an ID card into a scannable credential. Common uses include:

Placing a QR Code Field

1. Add a column to your spreadsheet with the QR code content (URLs, IDs, or text)
2. Drag the column onto the canvas
3. Set the render type to “QR Code” in the field properties toolbar
4. Resize the bounding box — QR codes scale to cover the bounding box width while maintaining their square aspect ratio
5. Position the field where you want it on the card (typically a bottom or back corner)

Adding Barcodes

If you prefer a linear barcode (e.g., for turnstile scanners or legacy systems), use the barcode field type:

1. Add a BarcodeData column with numeric or alphanumeric codes
2. Drag it onto the canvas and set render type to “Barcode”
3. Adjust the bounding box width to control the barcode’s horizontal span
4. Barcode height is controlled by the barcode height setting, not the bounding box height

Custom Fonts and Branding

Professional ID cards use consistent typography to reinforce your brand. Mergram supports custom font uploads for any text field.

Applying Custom Fonts

1. Go to Assets → Fonts and upload your font files (.ttf, .otf, or .woff2)
2. Select a text field on the canvas (e.g., EmployeeName)
3. In the field properties toolbar, change the font to your uploaded font
4. Repeat for other fields — use different weights for hierarchy (bold for names, regular for titles)

Common Font Choices for ID Cards

Printing Tips

After generating your ID cards, choose the right printing method for your needs:

Printing Recommendations

1. Use the Combined PDF output mode for batch printing — all cards in one multi-page file, sent to the printer in a single job
2. Use Individual PDFs if you need to email each card to the respective employee
3. Add cut marks in your template design if printing multiple cards per sheet on perforated paper
4. Test on plain paper first — print one page on regular paper to verify alignment before using expensive card stock
5. Choose the right badge holder — vertical for CR80 portrait, horizontal for landscape event badges

Best Practices for ID Card Generation

1. Standardize your photo format — Crop all photos to the same aspect ratio and background color before uploading. Inconsistent photos make cards look unprofessional.

2. Test with the longest name — Find the longest name in your spreadsheet and preview it on the card. If it overflows the text field, reduce the font size or widen the field.

3. Include a verification method — QR codes linking to a verification page add security. Anyone can scan the code to confirm the badge is legitimate and still valid.

4. Add an expiry date — ID cards with expiration dates are more secure and easier to manage. Set a standard validity period (1 year for employees, semester-end for students, event duration for conferences).

5. Use high-contrast text — Ensure text color contrasts sharply with the card background. Dark text on a light card or white text on a dark card. Avoid placing text over busy patterns or photos.

6. Keep a master spreadsheet — Maintain a single source of truth for all badge data. When someone joins, leaves, or changes role, update the spreadsheet and regenerate the batch.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

Photos not appearing on cards: Verify your Media Album is linked to the template in the editor’s Media tab. Check that the PhotoFile column values match the uploaded filenames — stem matching is case-insensitive, but the base name must match exactly (no extra spaces or different punctuation).

Names overflow the field: Reduce the font size for the name field, or increase the field width. For very long names, consider using a smaller font weight or splitting into FirstName and LastName fields on separate lines.

QR codes won’t scan: Increase the QR code bounding box size — aim for at least 0.75 inches on a CR80 card. Also check that the QR data column contains valid, well-formed URLs or text strings.

Cards print at the wrong size: Ensure your PDF template dimensions match your intended card size exactly (in points or inches). Do not scale the PDF after generation — design at the correct size from the start.

Fonts not rendering correctly: Verify you’ve uploaded the correct font file and applied it to the specific field. If characters are missing (e.g., accented letters), the font may not cover the required Unicode range — switch to a broader-coverage font like Inter.

Get Started

Design your ID card template, prepare your employee or student spreadsheet, and upload both to the Mergram editor. Place your text, photo, and QR code fields, preview with real data, and generate your entire batch of ID cards in minutes.